BY ANABEL STAROSTA Although maternal health has increased worldwide in the past few decades, maternal disorders and pregnancy complications continue to be one of the leading causes of death for women, especially in Latin America. Deaths during delivery and other pregnancy complications have decreased worldwide from 500,000 deaths in 1990 to 289,000 deaths in 2013, … Continue reading Maternal Health: A Persistent Issue in Latin America
Author: yaleglobalhealthreview
Pura Vida
BY SARA MEYERS “Pura Vida” the saying goes in Costa Rica – “Pure Life”. I have to say I agree and disagree with this label they have given themselves. I witnessed the beauty of Costa Rica, including its abundance of friendly faces, but I also found it was a country in need of much legislation … Continue reading Pura Vida
Acid Attacks in South Asia
BY GRACE YI Recent acid attacks have devastated the lives of women in South Asia, reflecting an unsettling yet unfaltering trend that has persisted for the past several decades. The purpose of the acid attacks, where acid is thrown onto the face and body, is not to kill (though often it does), but to permanently … Continue reading Acid Attacks in South Asia
INDIA: Examining the Efficacy of the RSBY Program in Providing Healthcare for the Rural Poor
BY AKHIL UPNEJA 1.22 billion. That is the number of people around the world living off less than two dollars a day (World Bank). These people live in severe poverty and work simply to provide sustenance and shelter for their families. In India, the harsh poverty conditions are particularly pronounced with 217.2 million people in … Continue reading INDIA: Examining the Efficacy of the RSBY Program in Providing Healthcare for the Rural Poor
OCD and Me
BY HANNAH SAMSON Until recently, scientists thought mental disorders were solely caused by environmental factors. However, modern neural-imaging technology suggests that mental illnesses are “disorders of brain circuits.” The advent of enhanced imaging techniques allows neurologists to specialize studies specifically on neural circuits and their connectivity, or the lack thereof, rather than more broadly on … Continue reading OCD and Me
Questioning Fundamental Assumptions
BY RICHARD SKOLNIK One of the most important lessons that I have learned professionally is the importance of questioning fundamental assumptions. This lesson arose on a number of occasions, both when I worked at the World Bank and afterwards. One of the most interesting examples of this was the work we did on HIV at … Continue reading Questioning Fundamental Assumptions
Burns in Peru: A Neglected Global Health Crisis
BY RACHEL PERLER This summer, I interned at ANIQUEM (Asociación de Ayuda al Niño Quemado), a Peruvian NGO that is working to change the national approach to burn injuries and their care. The organization was founded in 1999 by a pair of doctors from Lima with the mission to reduce the prevalence of burn accidents in … Continue reading Burns in Peru: A Neglected Global Health Crisis
Enduring Disorder: PTSD in Gazan Children
BY SOPHIA KECSKES "I miss the sea, I miss my friends, I miss ice cream, I miss happiness and joy. I MISS MY ORDINARY LIFE,” tweeted Farah Baker, a 16-year-old girl from Gaza who self-describes as a “modern Anne Frank.”1 With 199,000 followers, this young girl spreads awareness about the nature of her life in the … Continue reading Enduring Disorder: PTSD in Gazan Children
Switzerland: Regarding Health System Reform
BY EMILY THACHER Executive Summary Twenty years ago, the Swiss health sector faced two key problems: rising inequality and rising costs. In an effort to strengthen solidarity and contain costs, the Swiss passed a major healthcare reform bill called LAMal in 1994. Inspired by the French and German systems, it established meaningful universal coverage through … Continue reading Switzerland: Regarding Health System Reform
Diagnosing Lyme Disease
BY SREEJA KODALI Before 1977, Lyme, Connecticut was afflicted with an epidemic: children with skin lesions, headaches, stiff necks, myalgias, arthalgias, and fatigue. These symptoms later developed and months after the brain, heart, and muscular system were affected too. This unexplained phenomenon plagued patients until Dr. Allan Steere of Yale School of Medicine and his … Continue reading Diagnosing Lyme Disease
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